Automobile wheel rim



.Fuly l 1924.

v F. R. KLAUS ET AL AUTOMOBILE WHEEL RIM Filed Feb. 23

I Inventor's. fF-eJ IE.K/aus Harry N/(myz.

- Attorney 7 ring.

FRED B. 1

s m) HARRY w. KRANZ, or CLEVELAND, omo, ASSIGNQRS TO HYDBA'ULIC STEEL COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF'OHIO.

AUTOMOBILE EEL RIM.

Application filed February 23, 1921. Serial No. 447,136.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, FRED R. Kit ins and HARRY W. KRANz, citizens of the United States, of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Automobile Wheel Rims, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This wheel rims of the type in which one of the tire retaining flanges comprises a removable The object of the present invention is to provide a rim having an easily detachable ring adapted to be held in place by engagement with the inside of the tire bead, making it unnecessary to provide special fastening means for securing the ends of the ring togetherat the split, though these may be used if desired. g

It is also an object of this invention to construct the edge of the main rim section to receive such a locking ring and at the same time make this portion of the main mm section as rigid as possible t insure against distortion thereof, either by tire pressure or by impact against external ob jects while in use.

It is also an object ofthis' invention to provide a rim in which the tire shoe can be quickly and easily applied to and removed permit t from the rim.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification;

Figure 1 is a'transverse section through the rim showing the rim upon, a conventional wooden wheel.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view same rim upon a disk wheel.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the rim used in a wire wheel.

The main rim sectionj/l has an integral tire retaining flange 2 and a base portion 3 having an oflset portion 4; at its outer edge. The olfset portion 4 is bent inwardly and flanged at the edge to form a relatively narrow groove 5 for retaining the split looking ring 7 in position. The split ring 7 is resilientl contractile and is removable to e application of the the shoe to the rim and its removal therefrom. The flange 6 at the outer edge of the base portion is substantially flush with the upper showing the residing at Cleveland, in the county invention relates to automobilesurface of the ofiset portion inside the groove.

The tire retaining ring 7 has a shoulder 8 engaging the upper edge of the flange 6 and a depending lip 9 extending into the groove and engaging the inner face of the flange. The ring 7 has also an inward] extending flange 10 resting upon the o set portion 4 and of such thickness that its outer face is substantially flush with the outer face of the base portion 8.

The above described rim is cheap to manufacture and possesses maximum strength by reason of the fact that there are no sharp bends therein to render diflicult the rolling thereof or set up undue stresses at any point therein.

.lhe ring 7 is easily removable after the tire has been deflated to the proper extent by prying up one end near the split so that the lip 9 is elevated over the flange 6. .The ring being wide, that ishaving the inwardly extending flange 10, facilitates the leverage which the operator can exert to remove the ring from the groove and free it from the tire. After the ring 7 has been removed, the tire bead is easily removable as the flange 6 and oflset portion 4': are both below the level of the base of the rim.

By reason of the grooved oflset construction, the rim at the edge beneath the removinner contour of the locking ring 7 decreases the liability of dirt and water working in through the groove to the tire.

Theofl'set portion 4: has the advantage that the ring 7 does not need to fit accurately. If the flange'10 should be a little short or should the flange 6 be bent outward slightly the flange 10 will seat on the offset portion andnot be pressed inwardly sufliciently by the tire to cause damage thereto. p

Having described our invention, what we claim is: v

In a wheel, a tire retaining rim having a fixed section, comprising a circumferential tire retaining flange and a base portionv integral therewith having a ortion forming a seat for a portion of the ase of the tire,

said base portion being ofiset to a smaller diameter on the side thereof opposite said integral flange, said ofiset portion at 1ts outer edge being bent inwardly and flanged outwardly to form a relatively narrow peripheral groove therein, and a. removable tire retaining ring having a circumferential tire retaining flange, an intermediate lip projecting inwardly from the base thereof engaging said peripheral groove and forming with the outer portion of the base thereof a, shoulder engaging. the edge of the flange at the outer side of the groove and an inwardly projecting flange extending across said offset portion, the top thereof 15 being alined with the base portion of the fixed section and completing the seat for the tire base.

lin testimony whereof, we hereunto em;

our signatures.

FRED R. KLAUS. HARRY W. KRANZ. 

